Reed-organ



(No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1; L. K. FULLER.

REED ORGAN.

No. 250,434. Patented Dec. 6,1881. Fig. 1.

Fig. 2;-

INVENTORI wnmgssxzs: 4; 76. M

- I By Attorneys, I

N. PETERS. Fhokrlilhogmpher. Washin ton. D. c

(N0 Model.) 2 Sheeps-Shet 2.

L. K. FULLER.

REED ORGAN.

Patented Dec. 6,1881.

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INVENTOR:

WITNESSES: By his Attorneys, F

PETERS, mlo-ulhn n har. Washlllgttm D. C.

IINITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEVI K. FULLER, OF BRATTLEBOROUGH, VERMONT.

REED-ORGAN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 250,434, dated December 6, 1881. Application filed J nine 29, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LEVI K. FULLER, a citizen of the United States, residing in Brattleborough, in the county of WVindham and State of Vermont, have invented certain Improve-- line 1 1 in Fig. 2, and looking from the rear.

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 2 2 in Fig. l.' Iig. 3 is avertical longitudinal section taken on the line 3 3 in Fig. 2, and Figs. Land 5 are fragmentary sections taken in the same plane as Fig. 2, showing modifications.

Ais the organ-case, B the wind-chest or sounding-box, G the sound-board thereon, D the main or receiving bellows, E Ethe pumperbellows,Fthe reed-board,and Gthe key-board, of a reed-organ, all being in the main of the usual construction and arrangement,

On the back of the receivingbellows D, or in other convenient position, I place an auxiliary receivingbellows, H, which communicates with the bellows D through an orifice or passage, ct, and is pressed open by a light spring, 1), whose strength is much less than that of the spring a, which opens the bellows D. The area of the opening a is much less than the combined area of the openings by which the bellows D'communicates with the pumpers, being preferably but about one inch in diameter, so that the flow of air from one bellows to the other is restricted. The bellows H has preferably but about one-half the capacity of the bellows D, although this proportion is not essential.

In playing soft or low passages the treadles are worked slowly and gently, so that the pumpers draw but a small stream of air from the bellows D. The rarefaction in the bellows D induces afiow of airfrom the bellows H through the orifice a, and the bellows H collapses to a greater or less extent, while the bellows D, on

"account of its stron gerspring, does not collapse to any material extent. While the bellowsD is thus distended and the bellows H is partially collapsed, the suction at the reeds is slight and the music is low and soft. performer wishes to play louder, he has only to work the pumpers more forcibly and rapidly, when the greater rarefaction in the bellows D will cause the complete exhaustion and entire collapse of the bellows H, whereupon its function disappears and the operation of the' organ is the same as if it were not used. The attachment of this auxiliary bellowssecures in the instrument the ability to play extremely soft and low music without impairing its capability to give forth loud and powerful notes. Heretofore the auxiliary bellows has been formed as one part or section of the main receiving-bellows, no partition being interposed to separate them, so that the air passes freely between them and must always be of nearly the same density throughout both. Thus constructed, it is impossible to make aquick transition from an extremely low to a loud note, as the auxiliary bellows must be pumped out and collapsed before the air in the main bellows can be sufficiently rarefied to sound a loud note; but by my construction of separate bellows, communicating only through a contracted orifice, a, I impede the escape of air from the auxiliary bellows, and so render it possibleto partially collapse the main bellows, and thereby sound a loud note, while the auxiliary bellows is still partially distended. The exhaustion of the auxiliary bellows then proceeds while the loud music is beingplay'ed.

I is an air-chamber or sound-chamber communicating with the bellows D, and consisting of a resonant box, which I have shown (see Figs. 2 and 3) as planted upon the front of the bellows-board d, which forms one side of the bellows, and as having communication with the bellows through an orifice, f, at its upper end. This chamber serves to increase and lengthen the airspace in communication with the bellows, and to furnish an extended resonant surface. Its acoustic effect is to deepen and soften the tone of the instrument.

The wind-chest B is divided, as usual, into If the two parts by a partition, and over this partition, on the sound-board O, is set a valve-tremolo, J, of the ordinary construction, consisting of a valve, 92, and valve-box p. ()rifices z and jare formed through the board 0 on opposite sides of the partition, and communicating with the box 19 on opposite sides of the valve a, as usual. A valve, 7a, is arranged in one of the compartments of the wind-chest over the suction-passage 7, leading to the bellows, and this valve is normally upheld by a spring, and is arranged to be pressed down, so as to cover and close said passage by the depression of a tracker-pin, m, all in the usual manner. When thus closed the air from the compartment containing the valve It must pass through the orifice i, the box 1), and the orifice j, and through the other compartment before it can reach the bellows, thus throwing the valve a into vibration and producing the tremolo. The box 12 has heretofore been closed at both ends, each of its compartments comm unicating through the orifices i j with one of the compartments of the wind-chest. I leave one end of this box open and cover it with a larger box, K, which serves as a sounding-box, and which is so placed that the orifice j is at or near its end. This box Kserves as an auxiliary reverberatory chamber, and acts to render the tone of the instrument more deep, full, and ample. It may be placed at any desired point over or adjacent to the wind chest. I prefer, however, to place it over the tremolobox, as shown, since the same orifice j then answers for both, and because, when so placed, the tremolo, being housed in a reverberatory chamber, acts to the best musical effect.

An auxiliary reverberatory chamber has been heretofore attached fiatwise beneath the windchest, communicating with the latter through several long slots, with the effect of slightly deepening or enlarging the wind-chest and extending the resonant surface thereof. Such construction differs from mine, in that by it the ability of the instrument to give forth a clear and full low note is to no appreciable extent increased, whereas by my arrangementof the orifice j at the end of the box K, 1 secure a vibrating column of air the length of said box, which is added to the column contained in the wind-chest, and hence, according to well-known laws of acoustic vibration, renders the instrument capable of responding to much lower notes than otherwise.

L is a presser-screw or other part by which a pressure may be applied to the soundingboard G in a direction at approximately right angles to the plane of its surface. In Figs. 1, 2, and 3, q is a bridge or bracket, and L a screw working therein and bearing on the board G. The sound-board of an organ is apt not to vi brat-e impartially, givinggreater preference to certain notes-the octaves and harmonics of its own fundamental note. To these notes it responds more loudly and clearly than to others. I consider this defect to be due to the vibration of the board about certain nodes formed or forced upon it by necessities of its mechanical construction and arrangement. The object of the screw L is to break up these nodes, or to neutralize them to such an extent as to render the sympathy of the board for certain notes imperceptible. This it does, as I believe, by establishing a new node, or partial node, causing the previous nodal points to disappear or to change their location. The screw should be placed at some point where there is no node previously formed; but otherwise than this its position is not material. It may be set in one place or another at a venture, and in nearly every instance it will be effective, since it will rarely happen to coincide with any previous node. Its essential feature is the lateral pressure that it exerts upon the sound-board, and this pressure should be adjustable in order that if a certain pressure does not modify the vibration of the board to the desired extent it may be increased or decreased until the proper result is secured. I prefer the use of an adjusting-screw, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3; but the pressure of a spring may be used, as shown in Fig. 4, or that of weights, as shown in Fig. 5. In both these figures the pressure is adjustable--in the one by screwing the out against the spring, and in the other by applyingmoreorless weights. Thesounding-boards of stringed instruments have had a tension applied to them by means of screws and other devices acting to stretch them longitudinally, in similar manner to the stretching of the strings, and for much the same purpose. I am not aware that any such tension has been applied to the sound-board of an organ but in any case it is obvious that its action is to alter the pitch of the board, rendering it responsive to sounds of higher or lower pitch, and not to so modify its vibration as to render it more equally responsive to sounds of any pitch.

I claim as my invention- 1. In an organ, the combination, with the usual main receiving-bellows, of an auxiliary receiving-bellows provided with a distendingspring of less strength than that of the main bellows, and communicating with the main bellows by a contracted air passage or orifice, substantially as described, whereby the auxiliary bellows is the first to be exhausted by a gradual exhaust, but in case of arapid or powerful exhaust the main bellows will also be ex hausted,to a greater or less extent, simultaneously with the exhausting of the auxiliary bellows.

2. In a reed-organ, the combination, with the receiving-bellows, of a resonant box, its confined air-space communicating with said bellows through an orifice or airpassage, substantially as set forth.

3. In a reed-organ, the combination, with the winthchest B and sound-hoard G, of means, substantially as hereinbefore set forth,for applying a pressure to any free or vibratory portion of said board in a direction approximately IIO at right angles to the plane of its surface,whereby its vibration at such portion may be to some extent suppressed and its tone modified.

4. In a reed-organ, the combination, with the wind-chest B and sound-board O, of means, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, for applying a pressure to any free or vibratory portion of said board in adirection approximately at right angles to the plane of its surface, and for increasing or diminishing such pressure at will, whereby the vibration of the board at the point where the pressure is applied may be suppressed to a greater or less extent, and the tone of the board thereby modified as desired.

5. In a reed-organ, the combination of the sound-board O and adjusting-screw L, and a resisting part against which said screw is reenforced, the said screw being arranged sub stantially as set forth, so as to exert a pressure against said board in a direction at approximately right angles to the plane of its surface.

I 6. In a reed-organ, the combination, with the wind-chest B, of an auxiliary soundingboX, K, arranged thereagainst, and communieating therewith by an orifice or air-passage, j, arranged at one endof said box,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

7. The combination, with the divided windchest and valve-tremolo of a reed-organ, of an auxiliary sounding-box or airchamber arranged uponthe sound-board of the wind-chest, and covering or inclosing the valve-box, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing 5 witnesses.

LE VI K. FULLER.

Witnesses:

W. O. HORTON, L. W. HAWLEY. I 

